The number of mobile communication devices is constantly growing, and they have penetrated into all areas of human life. The most popular of these are telephones, smartphones, notebooks, tablets and navigation systems. Mobile devices are primarily used for communication and entertainment. In parallel with the development of these devices, new wireless communication systems, networks and protocols are also being developed. The transmission of data from one device to another and the exchange of information are tasks that even an inexperienced users can perform without difficulty. But the development of new technologies brings not only benefits, but also creates problems.
On one hand, the development of mobile devices and wireless communication systems simplifies human interaction, facilitates exchange of information, and erases geographical boundaries. On the other hand, new technologies create new security problems. The ease of copying and exchanging of information causes leaks, whether deliberate or accidental, of confidential personal or business information from organization networks. Therefore, information security specialists responsible for administration of information security infrastructure need to extra vigilant in protecting corporate IT systems in order prevent information leaks and various security breaches.
In addition, the growth in popularity of mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS, is attracting the attention of hackers who have various goals—from a desire to play jokes or show off, to the theft of confidential information for the purpose of extortion and blackmail. As a result of this, computer threats, such as viruses, worms and other types of malware, which were previously characteristic of desktop computers are beginning to appear on mobile platforms as well. New threats unique to mobile devices are also appearing, such as Trojan horses, which after being installed on a mobile device, send SMS messages to telephone numbers or use geolocation services to track the movements of the device user.
In light of the foregoing, it is becoming apparent that proactive steps must be taken to reduce the risk of information leaks and protect the users of mobile devices and organizations from unauthorized access by cybercriminals. Security measures for both individual users and organizations have migrated from desktop computers to mobile devices and generally have a narrowly focused, local nature and are based on possible scenarios leading to the transfer of information from the informational environment of an organization. The three main scenarios are network, local, and due to the loss of a data storage medium. Different methods have been developed to address these problems. However, the current security solutions are ineffective and, in certain cases, hard to implement across different mobile platforms and devices due to their narrow local focus and lack of a general technical design concept.